Sunday, Mar 31, 2002
Sunday, Mar 31, 2002 |
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Tamil Nadu
By Our Staff Reporter
A walk on the `Girivalam' path which stretches from the Anna arch at the entrance to Tiruvannamalai through the heart of the town via bus stand, Chinnakkadai Street, Rettai Pillayar Koil Street, Thirumanjana Gopura Veedhi, Chengam Road (forming part of the Pondicherry-Bangalore National Highway-66) and back to the Anna arch revealed that used plastic cups and plastic food packets continue to be strewn on the roadside in the absence of adequate dust bins. A survey done by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) revealed that about three lakh to four lakh devotees walk along the `Girivalam' path every `Pournami' day and night. With numerous eateries and milk and coffee stalls lining the pathway to cater to the demand of the devotees, lakhs of plastic tumblers were thrown on the roadside. The Board has received complaints from farmers about the used non-bio-degradable plastic covers and cups lying over a wide area and getting deposited in the farmers' fields. During the rainy season, this prevented the seepage of rainwater underground. In other seasons, the irrigation water pumped by motors got blocked by layers of plastic papers. The Environmental Training Institute of the TNPCB did conduct an awareness campaign here about a year ago to persuade the public not to use plastic materials in the `Girivalam' path. They were instead asked to use stainless steel tumblers or mud cups for serving water or beverages. Though the problem has been reduced to some extent after the campaign, it remained, as could be seen from the indiscriminate disposal of plastic cups on the path. Awareness needed to be created not only among the people of Tiruvannamalai but also among devotees from all over the State, since devotees came from places as far away as Coimbatore, Salem and Erode besides Vellore, Chennai and Kancheepuram who regularly visited the town for `Girivalam'. Asked about the problem, Dheeraj Kumar, Tiruvannamalai Collector, told The Hindu that the State government has sanctioned Rs.31.75 lakhs during 2001-2002 for the development of basic amenities on the `Girivalam' path. With this amount, it has been planned to provide a number of dust bins along the entire 14-km route, construct two shelters and five toilets in that portion of the path which came under the jurisdiction of village panchayats. More drinking water facilities would also be provided. The Collector said the portion of the `Girivalam' path from Anna arch to Avaloorpettai was freshly laid and widened recently. Road improvement works have now been sanctioned for about a half km route from the bus stand. The Tiruvannamalai municipality and all the village panchayats through which the path passed have already passed resolutions banning the use of plastic materials on the path, and the ban was being enforced, he said. A philanthropist has donated 5000 stainless steel tumblers for use by the devotees. As for the works on development of infrastructure facilities, the tenders were being finalised, and they would commence in another couple of months, Mr. Dheeraj Kumar said.
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